How to register for SHA, Kenya's Social Health Authority
Register by USSD or online, add your family, and work out what you pay, whether you're salaried or self-employed.
Quick answer
Every Kenyan resident must register with the Social Health Authority (SHA), which replaced NHIF in October 2024. Dial *147# or register online with your national ID. Salaried workers pay 2.75% of gross salary through their employer. Everyone else pays 2.75% of household income as assessed by a means test. Nobody pays less than KSh300 a month.
At a glance
| Who must register | Every person resident in Kenya (Social Health Insurance Act, 2023) |
|---|---|
| How | USSD *147#, or online at sha.go.ke / afyayangu.go.ke |
| You need | Your national ID (or other approved ID); details and documents for any dependants |
| Salaried | 2.75% of gross salary, deducted by your employer and paid by the 9th of each month |
| Not salaried | 2.75% of household income as set by means testing, paid annually |
| Minimum | KSh300 a month |
Kenya replaced the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) with the Social Health Authority (SHA), which began operating on 1 October 2024. SHA runs three funds: the Primary Healthcare Fund, the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) and the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund. Registration is compulsory for everyone resident in Kenya, and how much you pay now depends on your income, not a flat rate. This guide is based on the Social Health Insurance (General) Regulations, 2024, the legal rules SHA works under.
Before you start: what you need
- Your identification document. The regulations accept a national ID card, a passport, a student ID, or a social health insurance number. For a child, a birth certificate or birth notification is accepted. If you have no ID, SHA can approve another document.
- A phone for *147#, or internet access for the online portals.
- Details of your dependants: full name, date of birth, place of birth, sex, relationship to you, contact details, nationality where needed, any disability, and a passport photo for each.
- Documents for dependants: a marriage certificate or affidavit for a spouse, and a birth certificate or birth notification number for each child.
Step by step
Have your ID ready
The regulations require a copy of your national identification document. That can be a national ID card, a passport, a student ID or, for a child, a birth certificate or birth notification. People without ID can use another document SHA approves.
Register by USSD or online
Dial *147# and follow the prompts, confirming your name as it appears in the government's population register. Or register online through SHA's website or the Afya Yangu portal.
Add your household members
List the people you want covered, such as your spouse and children. For each, you give their full name, date of birth, place of birth, sex, relationship to you and a passport photo, plus identification documents. SHA asks for a marriage certificate or affidavit for a spouse and a birth certificate or birth notification number for a child.
Complete the means test if you are not salaried
If your income is not from a salary (you are self-employed, a farmer, in informal work or unemployed), SHA uses a means-testing questionnaire about your household to decide your contribution.
Pay your contribution
Salaried workers: your employer deducts 2.75% of your gross pay and pays SHA by the 9th of each month. Non-salaried households pay an annual contribution at 2.75% of the income the means test assigns, due 14 days before the previous year's cover lapses. The minimum for everyone is KSh300 a month.
Check your status before you need care
Confirm your registration and contribution status before a hospital visit, and ask SHA for a statement of account if anything looks wrong. The statement shows your beneficiaries, contributions and benefits used.
What you will pay
| Your situation | Contribution | When |
|---|---|---|
| Salaried employee | 2.75% of gross salary (minimum KSh300/month) | Deducted by your employer; paid to SHA by the 9th |
| Self-employed or informal income | 2.75% of household income as set by means testing (minimum KSh300/month) | Annually, 14 days before cover lapses |
| Aged 25+ with no income, or living with the contributor | KSh300/month, as a separate household | As for non-salaried households |
| Households needing financial help | Paid on their behalf, after means testing | n/a |
Worked example (salaried): if your gross salary is KSh50,000 a month, 2.75% is KSh1,375, deducted each month. On a gross salary of KSh10,000, 2.75% is KSh275, which is below the minimum, so KSh300 applies.
What SHA covers
SHA pays for care through its three funds:
- Primary Healthcare Fund: care at level 2 and 3 facilities (dispensaries and health centres). Since SHA's benefits review in May 2026, this includes free delivery at those facilities for registered members. SHA pays facilities KSh10,000 for a normal delivery with newborn care and KSh30,000 for a caesarean section.
- Social Health Insurance Fund: the contributory fund that pays for care at higher-level hospitals, within the limits of the benefits package.
- Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund: emergencies and serious long-term illness. In May 2026, SHA raised the annual cancer benefit from KSh550,000 to KSh800,000, including a rise in this fund's share from KSh150,000 to KSh400,000.
The May 2026 review also added set payments for cancer care, such as KSh5,500 per chemotherapy session and KSh3,600 per radiotherapy session for up to 30 sessions. It also added support for sickle cell treatment. Benefits and tariffs change, so check what is covered at your facility before planned treatment.
How long it takes
- Typical: registration on *147# takes a few minutes if your name matches the population register.
- Longer: adding dependants needs their documents. A child without a birth certificate or notification needs paperwork from the social protection department.
- Worst case: your details don't match government records, or your NHIF record didn't transfer. Visit an SHA office or Huduma Centre with your ID.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Assuming your family is covered automatically. Dependants are covered only if you list them and provide their documents.
- Adult children staying on a parent's cover. From age 25, a person without income is treated as a separate household and pays KSh300 a month.
- Missing the annual renewal. Non-salaried households pay once a year, due 14 days before cover lapses. Set a reminder.
- Not checking status before treatment. Confirm your status before a planned hospital visit, and ask for a statement of account if a contribution is missing.
If you live abroad
The registration duty in the regulations applies to people resident in Kenya. If you live abroad but your family in Kenya depends on you, one of them can register their own household. If you plan to return, check your status before you travel so cover is active when you arrive.
Official links
Frequently asked questions
Is SHA registration compulsory?
Yes. Under the Social Health Insurance Act, 2023 and its 2024 regulations, every person resident in Kenya must register as a member of the Social Health Insurance Fund.
How much do I pay if I am self-employed?
You pay 2.75% of your household income as assessed by SHA's means test, as an annual contribution. It can never be less than KSh300 a month. The regulations also provide for premium financing, so non-salaried people can pay when their income comes in.
I am over 25 and live with my parents. Am I covered under them?
No. The regulations treat a person aged 25 or older who has no income of their own, or lives with the contributor, as a separate household that pays KSh300 a month.
What happened to my NHIF membership?
SHA took over from NHIF when it began operating on 1 October 2024. The regulations have a provision for NHIF members, but check your status on *147# or online to confirm your details moved over correctly.
Who pays for people who cannot afford it?
The regulations provide for households that need financial help, identified through means testing, to have contributions paid on their behalf.
Sources
- Ministry of Health: Social Health Insurance (General) Regulations, 2024
- Social Health Authority
- The Star: SHA raises cancer cover to Sh800,000, introduces free maternity (12 May 2026)
- Afya Yangu portal
- Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital: How SHA works
- Wikipedia: Social Health Authority (Kenya)
Fees and rules change. We last checked these facts on 30 September 2026. Always confirm with the official office before you pay. This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.